Let the Lame Excuses Begin...
Barring Jimmy Carter attacking Barack Obama with a weedwacker while screaming, "John McCain's a national treasure!" it looks like it's only a matter of time before we, as a country, make some serious history. I'm still hesitant to come out in say, "It's in the bag, Baby!" because (1) the Democratic Party has their share of Human Gaffe Machines, (2) Gov. Palin and her ilk continue to stoke the fires of bigotry and (3) well, some states are still using electronic voting machines.
Anyway, some have taken it upon themselves to lament over That Which Has Not Transpired. It's what happens when you have poll information that hasn't really budged in about a week or so and a media with the patience of a puppy dog.
Really, Ververs? I'm not so sure. Unfortunately, what's being missed here is that McCain wasn't opposed to the modern GOP as much as he was opposed to George W. Bush (this was, afterall, the man who derailed him back in 2000 with nasty campaign tactics). During the GOP Primary and a few times during the current Presidential Race, McCain has shown his affection for and allegiance to Ronald Reagan (aka, Patron Saint of the Republican Party). Well, Bush 43 has also shown admiration for Reagan in the past. The two just have always had a different interpretation of Reagan politics: Bush tried to replicate the in-front-of-cameras charm side (McCain can't do charming), and McCain has found comfort is the never-give-up fighter side (whenever Bush has tried this, he usually comes across as stubborn). Sadly for both men, they have been poor renditions of the real thing.
But the one claim I have to disagree with Ververs on is that McCain had a tougher road to travel. He didn't have to solidify the base and woo independents/conservative Democrats at the same time, he simply made the choice to do both because he's never felt he was one of the (GOP) guys. Surely the TV pundits didn't see Sarah Palin coming. Renting a chunk of the Bush 2000 and 2004 Election Team didn't go over so well with the image of being a "maverick."
And since the GOP Convention ended it seems like the McCain Campaign has been spinning a giant wheel labeled, "How Will We Distract The Voters This Week?" Hence the new "Barack will do anything to get elected" meme.
Meanwhile, Barack Obama made peace with Hillary Clinton, chose a running mate people believe can run in his place, became more detailed in his policies and used technology to connect to a new generation of potential voters. The result? Early voting in his favor , a ground game that has the GOP shitting bricks and an electorate that's starting to feel that he'd be a damn good Commander-in-Chief.
McCain had a simple mission: present his views, tell his life story and adjust his policies as necessary during his campaign. Instead, he decided to smear Obama, pander to his base and flip-flop on just about every issue he's held over the last eight years.
There's really no excuse for that.
Anyway, some have taken it upon themselves to lament over That Which Has Not Transpired. It's what happens when you have poll information that hasn't really budged in about a week or so and a media with the patience of a puppy dog.
Of all the finger-pointing that has gone on so far, McCain’s complaints are probably the most accurate. It wasn’t that long ago when the Arizona senator was almost universally viewed as the party’s best hope to win the White House, precisely because he had clashed with it in the past. Voters entered 2008 in a sour mood to begin with. An unpopular president presiding over a very unpopular war combined with growing economic concerns made it highly unlikely the party would be successful nominating a candidate promising more of the same.
The maverick McCain, who bucked his party on immigration even as he was gearing up his primary campaign, appeared to be the best antidote to the Bush years for the party. But Barack Obama and Democrats have successfully (thanks to $600 million assist) been able to tie Bush around McCain’s campaign. Why? Because McCain has had to try and both energize the base and try to differentiate himself at the same time. It hasn’t worked.
His selection of Palin, his hawkishness on foreign policy and his failure to find a real way to separate himself from traditional Republican orthodoxy on the economy have overshadowed the places where does differ from Bush, like global warming. Trying to satisfy the base of the party while creating some separation from them and reach out to independents and conservative Democrats was always going to be difficult. It’s now become much more than that, as the early finger-pointing begins.
Really, Ververs? I'm not so sure. Unfortunately, what's being missed here is that McCain wasn't opposed to the modern GOP as much as he was opposed to George W. Bush (this was, afterall, the man who derailed him back in 2000 with nasty campaign tactics). During the GOP Primary and a few times during the current Presidential Race, McCain has shown his affection for and allegiance to Ronald Reagan (aka, Patron Saint of the Republican Party). Well, Bush 43 has also shown admiration for Reagan in the past. The two just have always had a different interpretation of Reagan politics: Bush tried to replicate the in-front-of-cameras charm side (McCain can't do charming), and McCain has found comfort is the never-give-up fighter side (whenever Bush has tried this, he usually comes across as stubborn). Sadly for both men, they have been poor renditions of the real thing.
But the one claim I have to disagree with Ververs on is that McCain had a tougher road to travel. He didn't have to solidify the base and woo independents/conservative Democrats at the same time, he simply made the choice to do both because he's never felt he was one of the (GOP) guys. Surely the TV pundits didn't see Sarah Palin coming. Renting a chunk of the Bush 2000 and 2004 Election Team didn't go over so well with the image of being a "maverick."
And since the GOP Convention ended it seems like the McCain Campaign has been spinning a giant wheel labeled, "How Will We Distract The Voters This Week?" Hence the new "Barack will do anything to get elected" meme.
Meanwhile, Barack Obama made peace with Hillary Clinton, chose a running mate people believe can run in his place, became more detailed in his policies and used technology to connect to a new generation of potential voters. The result? Early voting in his favor , a ground game that has the GOP shitting bricks and an electorate that's starting to feel that he'd be a damn good Commander-in-Chief.
McCain had a simple mission: present his views, tell his life story and adjust his policies as necessary during his campaign. Instead, he decided to smear Obama, pander to his base and flip-flop on just about every issue he's held over the last eight years.
There's really no excuse for that.
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